True Love Tripled
by Luna Isabella Clearwater
Summary: Princes Remus and Jacob of the kingdom of Lunaria are searching for their submissive mate. Will they ever find her? And when they do, will they get their happily ever after or will the forces of evil succeed in destroying their newly-completed imprint once and for all? Find out, in True Love Tripled!
1. Once Upon a Time

_**True Love Tripled**_  
_**By:**** Accalia Silvermoon**_

_** Disclaimer: I do not own the idea for Harry Potter+Twilight Crossover Fics.**_  
_**If**__** I did, Harry would currently be in a permanent threesome with Remus Lupin and Jacob**_** Black.****  
**_**  
Chapter**** One: Once Upon a Time**_

_Once upon a time, in a far away land, there was a small, beautiful kingdom. _  
_Unlike most kingdoms, the kingdom was ruled by two princes. _  
_The elder prince, Prince Remus at 19 years of age, had light-brown hair and gentle hazel eyes. _  
_The younger, Prince Jacob, was 16 years old with tanned russet skin, shoulder-length black hair and warm brown eyes that always seemed to glow with mischief and laughter._

_They ruled the kingdom with a fair and just hand, and were much beloved by their subjects.  
__However, there was a problem.  
_  
_You see, both Remus and Jacob were gifted with the ability to shapeshift into the form of a large wolf and they quickly discovered, to their great delight, that they had imprinted on each other.  
The problem was that both of the princes were dominant wolves, which meant that they had to find a submissive in order to complete their imprint.  
And as the years passed, they began to lose hope that they would ever find her.  
Until one day...  
_


	2. The Most Beautiful In All The Land

_**Chapter Two: The Most Beautiful In All The Land**_

_Emma hummed quietly to herself as she swept the kitchen floor.  
At sixteen years old with long, curly black hair that fell to her waist and sparkling emerald eyes, Emmalyn Iris Potter was the only child of Lord James Charlus Potter and Lady Lily Elisabeth Potter, nee Evans.  
Sadly, Lord James and Lady Lily had been murdered when Emma was only four years old.  
Madame Bellatrix Ursula Lestrange, nee Black had then moved into the manor and poor Emma was immediately forced to become a servant in her own house._

_"Girl, bring me my tea!" Bellatrix yelled from the upstairs parlor.  
Emma sighed miserably before setting about preparing Madame Lestrange's favored black tea.  
When the tea was ready, she carefully picked up the teacup, placed it on a silver serving tray next to a small tin of ginger biscuits, and headed upstairs.  
"Your tea, Madame!" Emma said as she gently placed the tray on a small table and left the room._

_Sipping at her tea, Bellatrix picked up a small silver mirror set with emeralds and gazed at her reflection.  
"Magic mirror in my hand, who is the most beautiful in all the land?" Bellatrix demanded.  
Every evening at sunset, Bellatrix would ask this question and the mirror would always answer that Bellatrix was the most beautiful in all the land._

_The surface of the mirror shimmered briefly before the image of an elderly man with a long, crooked nose, twinkling blue eyes hidden behind a pair of half moon spectacles, and a very long silver beard appeared.  
"Madame Lestrange, you are very beautiful, it is true..." the mirror began and Bellatrix smirked slightly, expecting the same answer she had recieved from the mirror every time she'd previously asked.  
"However, young Emmalyn Iris Potter is by far more beautiful than you!" the mirror finished unexpectedly.  
The smirk instantly fell from Bellatrix's face to be replaced by a snarl of pure rage as the mirror's surface shimmered and grew clear once more._

_"PETTIGREW!" Bellatrix screeched furiously.  
A short, plump man with small, watery eyes and thin, balding hair scurried into the room  
"You called, Madame?" Peter Alexandre Pettigrew squeaked nervously._

_Bellatrix took a quick gulp of tea before handing him a small black box.  
"Tomorrow, I need you to take the Potter brat into the forest and kill her, then bring me her heart as proof of her death."  
Peter nodded fervently.  
"Yes, Madame!"_


	3. Into the Forest

_**Chapter Three: Into the Forest**_

_Emma laughed joyfully as she raced through the forest, Peter trying desperately to keep her in sight.  
She emerged into a clearing and sank to the ground, making six or seven snowballs and throwing them at random trees.  
Suddenly, the hair on the back of her neck prickled and she jerked around to see Peter coming toward her with an ornately-carved silver dagger pointed directly at her heart.  
Emma's eyes widened in shock.  
"Peter Pettigrew, what the hell do you think you're doing?" the sixteen year old shrieked.  
Peter sighed regretfully.  
"I apologize, Mademoiselle Emmalyn, but Madame Lestrange has ordered me to kill you."_

_Emma paled as Peter continued toward her and looked around wildly.  
Spotting a large rock on the ground, she hastily picked it up and slammed it into the side of Peter's head.  
As Peter crumpled to the ground, Emma took off through the trees._

_Running for what seemed to her terror-stricken mind like hours, Emma leaped over snow-covered logs, icy fear gripping her heart.  
She had to keep going, had to get as far away from Peter as possible.  
She couldn't let him find her._

_She ran and ran, never stopping, until finally she stumbled over a stray tree root and crashed to the forest floor.  
The last thing Emma knew was a blinding pain in her skull as her head bashed against the side of a large boulder before darkness enveloped her._


	4. Imprinting

_** Chapter**__** Four: Imprinting**_

_The large russet wolf bounded through the snowy underbrush, followed closely by an equally large light brown wolf.  
T__he light brown wolf pounced on the other's back, causing the russet wolf to lose his balance.  
The two wolves tumbled down the snowy incline, coming to a stop against some boulders._

_Climbing to his feet, the russet wolf's nose twitched as he was assaulted by a coppery, rusty scent coming from the other side of the boulders.  
'Remmy, come on!' he urged through their mental connection.  
The light brown wolf rolled his eyes.  
'I'm coming, Jake!' he sighed exasperatedly._

_Trotting around the boulders, Jacob was surprised to see a young girl, about sixteen years of age with long, curly black hair lying unconscious in the snow, blood pouring from a large gash in her temple.  
Her soft pink lips had taken on a faint bluish tinge and her creamy complexion had faded to a sickly grayish-white pallor.  
'What happened to her?' Remus wondered curiously as Jacob whined softly, nudging her cheek gently with his head.  
The mysterious girl let out a weak moan, her stunningly green eyes fluttering open._

_Jacob and Remus stumbled backward in surprise.  
The second they had looked into those beautiful emerald orbs, it was as if the entire world had simply disappeared.  
Heat was rushing through their bodies, a warm, glowing heat that made their very blood tingle.  
Everything that made them who they were; their love for each other, their duties to their kingdom, their miserable loneliness from years spent searching in vain for their submissive mate, just faded away.  
However, they were not left drifting alone in the darkness.  
A glowing golden braid, made up of three steel-like cables tightly woven together slowly appeared, binding Remus and Jacob together.  
Another golden braid, identical to the first, extended from Jacob to the mysterious girl and a third connected the girl to Remus, creating a strong, unbreakable golden triangle._

_The two wolves staggered backward a few steps as the force of their imprint washed over them.  
Returning their attention to the girl they had just imprinted on, they were horrified to see that she had lapsed back into unconsciousness.  
Shifting back into human form, Jacob quickly lifted the girl into his arms before heading back to the castle._

_Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, Peter cursed as he regained consciousness only to find Emma nowhere in sight.  
"What am I going to do?" he panicked. "If Madame Lestrange finds out that I failed in killing the Potter girl, she'll have my head!"  
Suddenly catching sight of a large white stag only three yards to his left, Peter had an idea.  
He'd kill the stag, present its heart to Madame Lestrange, and nobody would ever have to know the truth._


	5. Awakening Surprises

_**Chapter Five: Awakening Surprises**_

_The first thing Emma noticed as she slowly returned to consciousness was the heat.  
When she had passed out in the forest, she had been colder than she'd ever felt in her life.  
Now, however, Emma was so swelteringly hot that she wondered why she wasn't sweating._

_The next thing she became aware of was a steady, pounding pain in her skull.  
It hurt so bad, Emma was almost convinced that somebody was attacking it with a sledgehammer.  
Letting out a weak groan, she immediately winced in pain.  
Her throat felt like it was on fire._

_Finally managing to pry her heavy eyelids open, Emma gasped in amazement as she took in the huge bedroom she was currently occupying.  
The walls were a lovely shade of sapphire with gold accents, the ceiling was a deep midnight hue, sprinkled with tiny silver stars, and the wonderfully plush-looking carpet was a rich Persian-blue.  
Weakly pushing herself up to a sitting position, she noticed that the blissfully-comfortable bed she'd been lying in was a beautiful queen-sized four poster with an elegantly-carved antique-style dark walnut frame.  
The silk bedsheets were a light orchid, the warm velvet duvet was a rich plum color, and the feather pillows that had been supporting her head were a pale lilac._

_A couple of seconds later, however, Emma was suddenly overcome by a crushing wave of dizziness, forcing her to lay back down.  
Yawning tiredly, her eyes slowly drifted shut, her exhausted mind filled with confusion over her unfamiliar surroundings as she sank deeply into the__ numbing haze of unconsciousness._


	6. Fever Dreams

_**Chapter Six: Fever Dreams**_

_It was so hot!_  
_ Emma writhed uncontrollably, screaming out her agony at the top of her lungs as the flames seared her skin._  
_ Why wasn't anyone helping her?_

_An agonized shriek escaped her lips as a great flaming dragon swooped down, opening its jaws impossibly wide._  
_Emma cringed, waiting for the scorching heat to hit her._  
_Instead of a jet of fire emerging from the dragon's mouth, however, blessedly cool water rained down upon her, gently soothing her blistered skin as the flames slowly began to die down._

_The next thing Emma knew, the flames were gone and she was drifting peacefully in a seemingly endless abyss of inky blackness.  
The darkness pressed down on her from all sides, making it hard to breathe, but Emma, exhausted beyond all measure, just couldn't muster up the energy to care.  
All she wanted to do was rest here in this peaceful blackness forever, where there was no pain and she didn't have to worry about a single thing._

_Suddenly, she heard voices.  
Straining her ears, Emma struggled to make out what the voices were saying.  
"It's been three days, Remus, and her fever just keeps getting higher!" a male voice said hysterically.  
A second male voice let out a frustrated noise.  
"Jacob, you know what Dr. Cullen said!"_

_Jacob grumbled incoherently as Remus continued._  
_"The poor girl was lying in the snow for over an hour! You can't expect her to be completely fine with no complications!"_  
_Jacob sighed miserably, his voice choking up as he let out a soft sob._  
_"I know, Rem, I'm just so worried. I mean, what if she doesn't get better? What if she, you know, d-dies?"_

_Remus took a deep breath, letting it out slowly._  
_"She's not going to die, Jake!" Remus reasurred his friend._  
_"She'll get better eventually, it's just going to take a while."_

_Emma let out a weak groan.  
She could feel something cool and wet gently bathing her hot face as a warm hand tenderly stroked her hair.  
"Get some rest, Sweetheart!" Jacob's voice murmured quietly.  
"I love you!"_

_The last thing Emma felt was a gentle pair of lips tenderly pressing a soft kiss to her heated forehead before she drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep._


	7. Deadly Intentions

_**Chapter Seven: Deadly Intentions**_

_Madame Bellatrix Ursula Lestrange, nee Black was furious.  
She had ordered that miserable little fool of a manservant to kill the Potter girl and the incompetent oaf went and got himself knocked out, allowing the brat to escape!  
And then the idiot had the nerve to lie to her!  
As if she was stupid enough to believe his words without absolute proof that he was telling her the truth!_

_Of course, she'd had to execute him for his treachery.  
Pity, really, now she'd have to go through the trouble of acquiring a new personal manservant.  
And who knows how long that could take?_

_Bellatrix rose from her chair and walked upstairs to the attic.  
Luckily for her, she had been taught the practice of witchcraft by her mother ever since she was a small child, having been born with the rare ability to wield magic, for use in casting enchantments and brewing potions, along with quite a few other useful little things.  
The light from the full moon streamed through the attic windows as she headed over to a small desk in the center of the room upon which rested a ceremonial bowl filled with water and a small amethyst pendulum._

_After placing four lighted candles at each corner of the desk, Bellatrix gently swung the pendulum in a circular motion over the bowl.  
Slowly, an image formed of a small castle which she recognized as the home of Princes Remus and Jacob of the kingdom of Lunaria, a two day's journey by horse or carriage. Extinguishing the candles and abandoning the bowl and pendulum, Bellatrix walked over to a table in the far right corner where her potion supplies were kept._

_She would just have to get rid of Emmalyn Iris Potter herself!  
Even if it did mean that she'd have to run the risk of being mauled by two pissed-off shapeshifters, as she had no doubt that the two had imprinted on the young girl.  
After all, why else would they have taken her to their home?_

_It was like her grandmother had always said.  
"If you want something done right, then you have to do it yourself."  
And Bellatrix most certainly wanted this done right.  
Opening the leather-bound potion's book that had been passed down in her family since her great, great, great, great, great grandmother's time, she flipped through the pages until she found what she was looking for._

_Osculum Mortis (Kiss of Death)  
Ingredients: Aconite, Belladonna, Foxglove, Hellebore, Hemlock Root, Mandrake Root, Mistletoe Seeds, Moonseed, Valerian Roots, and Wormwood  
Symptoms In Order of Occurrence: Lightheadedness, Fatigue, Loss of Consciousness, Fever, and Death  
Victim's Time of Death: Exactly 72 hours (3 days) after ingestion  
Cure: The only known cure for the Osculum Mortis poison is an elixir composed of a unicorn's horn dissolved in a bowl of phoenix tears and blessed by Airmid, Goddess of the Healing Arts and daughter of Diancecht, God of Medicine under the light of the full moon.  
It is currently unknown, however, if said elixir will even work if given to a victim of Osculum Mortis that has already passed away._

_ Bellatrix cackled evilly.  
Yes, this poison would be perfect... _


	8. Introductions

_**Chapter Eight: Introductions**_

_Emma let out a rasping cough as the dark-haired girl drifted back into consciousness.  
A glass of water was held to her lips and she sipped gratefully, the cool liquid relieving the sharp burn in her throat as she swallowed weakly.  
As her emerald eyes fluttered open, the first thing she saw was an unfamiliar russet-skinned man with shoulder-length black hair leaning over her, forehead creased in worry. Seeing that she was awake, the worry lines slowly faded as the man smiled gently at her, his warm brown eyes filled with relief._

_"How are you feeling?" the unknown man asked in concern.  
Emma hesitated for a few seconds.  
"I'm alright," she finally answered, "just a little confused."  
The man's left eyebrow arched up a couple centimeters.  
"Who are you," Emma asked curiously, "and where am I?"_

_The man smirked widely and puffed out his chest, quickly dropping into a deep bow._  
_"I, fair lady, am Jacob Ephraim Black, younger prince of the fair kingdom of Lunaria! And who might you be, my dear?"_  
_Emma giggled as Jacob kissed her hand gently._  
_"My full name is Emmalyn Iris Potter, your highness, but I usually just go by Emma!" the girl answered, blushing lightly._  
_Jacob's eyes sparkled with amusement as they caught the rosy pink glow creeping up her cheeks._  
_"Ah, universal beauty...it suits you!" Jacob grinned brightly._

_Emma's gaze fell to her lap as she shyly wound a lock of hair around her forefinger.  
Suddenly, she let out a deep yawn, a heavy wave of fatigue starting to take hold.  
Jacob placed his hands on Emma's shoulders and gently pushed so that she she was lying down again.  
She fought to keep her eyes open as Jacob's warm fingers tenderly caressed her cheek, his dark brown eyes glowing with protectiveness and...love?_

_As Emma's eyes drifted shut, Jacob leaned down and placed a small kiss on her lips.  
"Goodnight, my love!" Jacob murmured gently as he blew out the candle on the small nightstand next to the now-sleeping girl's bed before quietly exiting the room._


	9. Everything Falls Into Place

**_Chapter Nine: Everything Falls Into Place_**

_Over the course of the next two months, Emma found herself in an amazing new world as her body slowly recovered from the effects of the fever and hypothermia.  
The morning after she had first awoken, Jacob introduced her to Remus.  
__  
Remus wasn't much of a talker, preferring instead to sit quietly in the shadows where he could observe the situation while remaining undetected.  
He did, however, enjoy reading, and could often be found in front of a roaring fire in the library on the second floor, curled up in an oversized leather recliner with a large book and a steaming mug of hot cocoa._

_Three days later, Emma met the Palace staff, among whom was Sue Clearwater, the Palace housekeeper; Leah Clearwater, Sue's daughter who also quickly became one of Emma's best friends; Emily Uley, nee Young, Sue's niece and the Palace cook; Claire Young, Emily's younger sister and cooking helper; Kim Connweller, Emma's new maid and other best friend; and finally Dr. Carlisle Antonio Cullen, the castle physician, and his wife Esme Anne Cullen, nee Platt, along with their adorable, pixie-like, three year old daughter __Alice Rosemary Cullen._

_She also befriended the castle guards, all of whom shared Remus and Jacob's shape-shifting ability._  
_There was Sam Uley, Emily's imprinter/husband and Remus's best friend; Jared Cameron, Kim's imprinter/fiancee; Paul Lahote, Jared's best friend; Embry Call, Jacob's best friend and Leah's imprinter/boyfriend; Quil Ateara, Jacob's other best friend and Claire's imprinter/boyfriend; Seth Clearwater, Leah's younger brother; Brady Fuller, Quil's cousin and one of Seth's two best friends; and Collin Littlesea, Brady's twin brother and Seth's other best friend._  
_Sam's wolf had pitch black fur, Jared had brown fur that was slightly darker over his face, Paul's was dark silver, Embry's was pale gray with scattered black spots, Quil's fur was a rich chocolate brown that was two or three shades lighter in color over his face, Seth's was sandy-colored, Brady was an ashy brown color, and Collin's was a light rust/copper mix, but a tiny bit darker around his legs, face, and tail._

_Meanwhile in Shadow's Keep, formerly known as Potter Manor, the Osculum Mortis draught was finally finished.  
Carefully pouring the fatal concoction into a small silver vial encrusted with tiny emeralds that dangled from a thin black cord attached to a beaded jade choker around her neck, Bellatrix walked over to a large, pewter mirror hanging on the wall and gazed into the crystalline depths, her appearance slowly beginning to change._

_She shrunk three inches in height._  
_Her tight black ringlets loosened and turned golden-blonde, falling midway down her back in gentle, flowing waves._  
_Her heavily-lidded icy gray eyes became a striking shade of violet._  
_Her skin grew smooth and took on a rosy glow._  
_Where a 42-year-old woman had stood just two seconds previously, there was now a young girl, no older than twelve._

_Bellatrix cackled gleefully as she gracefully changed into a beautiful pearl-gray evening dress and donned a flowing silver cloak before carefully adjusting the choker._  
_In just a few days, sweet, darling little Emmalyn would be dead and she__ would once again be the most beautiful woman in the land!_


	10. When Outdoor Fun Turns Life-Threatening

_**Chapter Ten: When Outdoor Fun Turns Life-Threatening**_

_Emma giggled as she ran through the palace gardens, trying to lose herself in the maze of twisting hedges. _  
_Suddenly, she squealed as a hot pair of arms grabbed her from behind and threw her over his shoulder. _  
_"Paul Aaron Lahote, you put me down this instant!" Emma shrieked, beating wildly at the heavily-muscled man's back. _  
_"Sorry, little sister, no can do!" Paul snickered as Emma let out an indignant huff._

_Remus came into view and Emma let out a sigh of relief. _  
_"Remus, can you please tell this idiotic buffoon to let me down?" she begged desperately. _  
_Remus grinned wickedly._  
_ "Hmmm, I could, but where would be the fun in that?"_  
_ He snatched Emma from Paul and slung her over his own shoulder, snickering at her continued struggles._

_Emma caught sight of Jacob standing about sixteen feet away by a large swimming hole laughing uncontrollably at the sight._  
_ Remus's eye lit up with an unholy glee. _  
_"Hey, Jake!" he called to his lover. _  
_"Do you want to play a little game of Toss Your Imprint In The Pond?"_

_Jacob grinned evilly._  
_ "Now, how can I possibly say no to that?" the russet-skinned man asked, laughing. _  
_Emma's eyes widened in sudden fear as she immediately renewed her attempts to escape._

_"One..." _  
_Remus walked over to the pond, grabbing Emma's arms as Jacob took her legs. _  
_"Two..." _  
_They swung Emma backwards._  
_ "THREE!"_

_Emma flew through the air and landed with a huge splash in the middle of the pond. _  
_She started to swim up to the surface, but then her foot got caught in a patch of algae._  
_ Struggling desperately to free herself, Emma's breath escaped in a stream of bubbles._

_Remus and Jacob were starting to worry. _  
_It had been nearly a full minute and Emma still hadn't resurfaced. _  
_After about ten more seconds, they glanced at each other and ran to the edge of the pond, diving into the water. _  
_After about two minutes of searching fruitlessly underwater to no avail, Remus finally caught a glimpse of long black hair. _  
_Swimming over to the patch of algae where Emma was trapped, Remus gently tugged the unconscious girl free and headed for the surface._

_Hauling Emma's limp form out of the water and laying her on the grass, Remus and Jacob crouched over her, anxiously checking her vital signs._  
_ "Rem, she's not breathing!" Jacob sobbed hysterically, tears streaming down his cheeks. _  
_Remus paled and quickly pressed two fingers to the pulse point in her throat before letting out a sigh of relief. _  
_"Her heart's still beating, Jake, although it's really weak, we need to get her breathing NOW!"_

_Jacob started blowing air into Emma's mouth as Remus pushed up and down on her chest. _  
_"Emma, come on, love, breathe!" Jacob begged as he blew more air into her._  
_ "Please, Sweetheart, breathe!"_

_Three minutes later, however, Emma still wasn't breathing and both Jacob and Remus were at their wits' ends. _  
_Her heartbeat was almost gone._  
_ Finally giving up his attempts, Jacob pulled Emma's motionless body into his arms and cradled her still form to his chest, his tears falling on her pale, blue-tinged cheeks._  
_ "Dammit, Emma, please don't leave me! Not now, not like this!" he sobbed brokenly._  
_ He could hear Remus's anguished weeping from where he sat, but his attention was focused completely on the dying girl in his arms._

_Suddenly, a choking gasp rang out as Emma's body seized up before the young girl began to breathe. _  
_Jacob stared in stunned disbelief, tears still falling down his cheeks. _  
_Emma was breathing! _  
_True, she was still unconscious and her breathing was labored and uneven, but she was breathing, nevertheless!_

_Remus was still sobbing, but now it was from relief as he crawled over to where Emma lay unconscious in Jacob's arms, tearfully peppering every inch of her face with multiple kisses._  
_ "Oh my god," he kept repeating. "Oh my god!"_

_Emma let out a weak groan as her eyebrows scrunched up before slowly fluttering open._  
_ "Remus? Jake? What...what happened?" she rasped in confusion.  
Remus let out a low sob as he hugged her tightly, kissing her forehead repeatedly._  
_ "You almost died!" he choked out miserably._

_Sam came running over with two thick blankets. _  
_Wrapping the blankets tightly around Emma's shivering form, Remus lifted her into his arms before heading back inside, Jake not far behind._


	11. A 'Friendly' Gift

_**Chapter Eleven: A 'Friendly' Gift**_

_For the next few days, Emma was wracked with fever and chills as her body fought off the slight case of pneumonia she'd caught from her accident in the pond.  
When her fever finally broke, both Remus and Jacob firmly refused to let her out of bed, worried that she'd inadvertedly destroy what little health she had regained.  
After three days of complete bed rest, however, Emma was bored to the point of tears._

_It was now 11 pm and the two stubborn shapeshifters had finally left her room in order to get some much-needed sleep.  
Honestly, those two hadn't so much as closed their eyes all week!_

_Suddenly, there was a knock on the bedroom door before a tiny blonde girl, no older than twelve entered, carrying a small tray of fudge brownies.  
The mysterious girl blushed shyly as her wide violet eyes met Emma's curious emerald gaze.  
"Erm...hello!" the girl stammered nervously, "Mrs. Emily Uley baked these on behalf of Miss Leah Clearwater and Miss Kim Connweller for a Miss Emmalyn Potter?"_

_Emma smiled at the girl._  
_"Oh, that's so sweet of them, thank you so much for bringing these to me!" Emma said gratefully._  
_The young girl blushed again before placing the tray on the nightstand and quickly leaving the room._

_Taking a brownie from the tray, Emma took a large bite, chewing quickly before swallowing and reaching for another.  
She was on her fourth brownie when she started to feel a little faint.  
Head spinning rapidly, Emma had just enough time to set the half-eaten brownie back on the tray before she slumped unconscious against her pillows._


	12. Poisoned!

_**Chapter Twelve:**__** Poisoned!**_

_Jacob shoved the bedroom door open before running inside, Remus close behind._  
_They had woken up five minutes ago to the feeling of something niggling at the imprint bond, instantly realizing that something was wrong with Emma._  
_Emma had told them yesterday morning about a distant relative's attempt on her life that had led to them finding her unconscious in the snow, causing both Jake and Remus's wolves to go into overprotective mode where she was concerned._

_Immediately rushing over to their imprint's bedside, Remus and Jacob were horrified to find Emma unconscious and burning with fever.  
"Emma, sweetheart, wake up!" Jacob pleaded, desperately shaking the sixteen year old's shoulder.  
Emma let out a faint groan as her eyes cracked open briefly._

_"Come on, love," Remus urged, "talk to us! What happened last night?"  
Emma swallowed painfully.  
"There was a little girl with blonde hair...brought brownies...said they were from Kim and Leah..." she managed weakly, eyes closing tiredly as she lapsed back into unconsciousness._

_Remus sniffed suspiciously at the half-eaten tray of brownies, then glanced back at Emma, eyes filled with fear.  
"FUCK!" he cursed viciously.  
Jacob turned to his lover.  
"Rem?" he questioned, "what's wrong?"_

_Remus swore again, slamming his fist into the wall and leaving a small crack in the wood.  
"Those brownies were poisoned!" he spat venomously, teeth gritted with fury.  
J__acob paled.  
"No..." he whispered faintly, glancing anxiously at Emma's feverish form.  
Remus nodded grimly.  
"I'd recognize that sickeningly-sweet stench anywhere!" he said quietly._

_Sending Jacob to get Dr. Cullen, Remus gently brushed Emma's dark hair away from her burning forehead.  
"Emma, darling, you have to hold on!" he begged desperately, his tears falling on her feverish skin as his wolf howled in despair at the thought that one of his mates might die.  
"Please don't leave me..."_


	13. The Clock Is Ticking

_**Chapter**__****__ Thirteen: The Clock Is Ticking_

_It had been 2 and a half days since the morning they'd discovered that Emma had been poisoned and time was quickly running out.  
Dr. Cullen had identified the poison as Osculum Mortis, a rare poison that killed it's victim within three days.  
He had also told them about the cure that was Emma's only hope, but stressed that they had to return with the cure and give it to Emma within the next twelve hours or she would die._

_It was with this knowledge that the large reddish-brown wolf found himself running through the forest, his paws carrying him farther and farther from the castle.  
Finally, just as the sun had begun to set, he came across a large stone manor located in a dark, shadowy clearing.  
Phasing into his human form and silently entering the house, Jacob tiptoed up the narrow, twisting staircase until he reached a locked door.  
Grabbing the key that hung from a hook on the wall right next to the stairs, he quickly unlocked the door and darted inside._

_Looking around the room, Jacob saw a shelf filled with hundreds of potion bottles of various sizes.  
Quickly grabbing a small vial marked O.M. Antidote in a neat calligraphic script, he rushed down the stairs.  
Peeking into the parlor, Jacob saw a tall woman with long, frizzy black hair and heavily lidded eyes that he instinctively knew was his imprint's poisoner, passed out in an armchair with about six or seven empty wine bottles on the table next to her with an large silver goblet in her lap, the dark liquid stains covering the front of her pale gray gown.  
__Gathering several crumpled up pieces of parchment into a large pile in the middle of the room, he lit a match to the pile, then quickly fled the room as the flames rapidly engulfed the armchair where Emma's would-be murderer sat in a drunken sleep, racing down the rest of the stairs and out the door before phasing back into a wolf and streaking off into the trees, the precious vial held securely between his jaws as he raced back to the palace._

_After what seemed to Jacob's frantic mind like forever, the castle came into sight and Jacob burst through the door, phasing back and tearing upstairs with the antidote clutched tightly in his fist.  
Gasping for breath as he reached Emma's bedroom, Jacob's heart pounded wildly with fear and worry as he opened the door._

**_Author's Note: While the trip from the Palace to Shadow's Keep may take two days by horse or carriage, it only takes five and a half hours to get there in wolf form, then another five and a half hours to get back, making the entire journey about eleven hours._**  
_**But, considering the fact that the poison had already been inside Emma's body for about seven hours before it was discovered...**_


	14. Too Late

_**Chapter Fourteen: Too Late**_

_Jacob's heart stopped as he entered the dimly lit bedroom to find Remus collapsed on the floor in the middle of the room, sobbing uncontrollably.  
Setting the small vial on top of the dresser next to the door, the russet skinned man raced over to his lover's side, noticing that the curtains on Emma's bed were pulled shut. "Rem, what's wrong?" he asked in concern.  
Remus gestured to Emma's bed, still sobbing._

_Jacob frowned in confusion.  
"Rem, it's okay now. Emma's going to be fine," he soothed.  
"I've got the cure, it's over there on the dresser."_

_Remus just shook his head miserably.  
"It's...it's too late for the cure!" he choked out._

_Jacob flinched at his words.  
"What do you mean, it's too late for the cure?" he asked, worried.  
"It can't be too late, that's just not possible, unless of course, she's..." he trailed off, eyes widening in realization._

_"No!" he shook his head determinedly.  
"Emma's not...she can't be...she's not..." he broke off, unable to make himself say it._

_Remus nodded, tears streaming down his face.  
"Emma's gone, Jake. She's dead!"  
He broke down in a fresh wave of heartbroken tears._

_His brain reeled as he raced over to Emma's bed and ripped open the curtains, praying that this was all just a horrible nightmare that he'd wake up from any second.  
But no...Jacob let out an agonized howl as he clutched Emma's limp, unmoving body to his chest, burying his face into the icy skin of her neck and breathing in the sweet vanilla scent that was so uniquely Emma...  
His right hand found it's way to Emma's hair where he started stroking it, lovingly raining butterfly kisses all over Emma's pale, cold face._

_"Emma, love, wake up! Come on, Sweetheart, open your eyes, please, just wake up!" he murmured repeatedly, refusing to believe that his precious imprint, his lovely Emmalyn could possibly be dead.  
But Emma remained silent and her eyes stayed closed, her face relaxed and peaceful.  
She seemed like she was only sleeping, but her heart wasn't beating and there was no gentle rise and fall of her chest...she was dead._

_A hoarse, gasping sob forced it's way out as Jacob laid his head on Emma's chest, his shoulders heaving with the force of his grief as he wept bitterly.  
After what seemed to the griefstricken man like hours, he raised his head briefly to gaze at Emma's face, still so, so beautiful, even in death.  
Her lips had already faded from soft pink to pale blue and they would eventually turn stark white._

_Jacob picked himself up off the floor and gently laid Emma's lifeless body back on the bed before curling up next to her and crying himself to sleep, his exhausted mind barely registering the fact that Remus had phased into wolf form and curled up at the foot of Emma's bed where he slowly drifted off to sleep._

_**Author's Note: (frowns in thought)  
Should I bring Emma back to life, or should I be cruel for once and let Jake and Remmy suffer emotionally for the rest of their lives by having Emma stay dead?  
It's your choice!  
For the record, though, if I do bring Emma back to life, it won't happen for at least two more chapters.**_


	15. A Wolf In Mourning

_**Chapter Fifteen: A Wolf in Mourning**_

_It had been three days since Emma's death and the sixteen year old's body now lay in a coffin lined with sapphire satin that had a beautiful moonlit forest scene sprinkled with stars painted on it, her head lying on a small silver pillow surrounded by a wreath of white roses.  
She was dressed in a lovely blue dress with silver trim and matching silver heels, a white lotus tucked behind her right ear and a silver heart-shaped locket around her neck with a single rose underneath the words 'Amor Est Eternus' engraved on the front._

_The casket rested on a silver bier that stood in the center of the room with wolves carved along the sides and was covered by a dome shaped lid made of crystal with diamond hinges set with pearls that was enchanted to be completely see-through._  
_Lovingly arranged on the floor around the bier were multiple bouquets of violets and freesias.  
A large vase of crimson roses stood on Emma's nightstand and four sprays of lilies and baby's breath were positioned atop the dresser._

_The bedroom door creaked open and a large russet wolf trotted inside, his head drooping in misery, before shifting back into human form and heading over to the casket.  
Jacob lifted the lid and reached inside the coffin, lovingly caressing Emma's icy cheek.  
The young girl's complexion was white as snow, her lips completely drained of all color and her face filled with peaceful serenity._

_The russet-skinned man let out a strangled sob as he tenderly pressed Emma's limp hand to his lips before letting it drop lifelessly back down to rest at her side once more and collapsing over her still form, hot tears spilling down his face and soaking into her glossy black hair as he wept bitterly._

_**Author's Note: For those of you who would like to see Emma's coffin, dress & shoes for yourselves, the links are in my profile.**_  
_**And for those don't know, 'Amor Est Eternus' is Latin for 'Love Is Eternal'.**_


	16. Of Nightmares and Misery

_**Author's Note: Okay, I really wanted to be cruel and torture Jake and Remus emotionally for the rest of their lives by letting Emma stay dead, but AlaskanWoman25 decided to be mean and not let me!  
(huffs in annoyance)  
So those of you who wanted Emma to stay dead can blame her for my decision to have Emma come back to life within the next three chapters!  
(smiles sweetly at AW25 and tosses a handful of confetti fireworks into the air)  
Now, on with the story!**_

**_Chapter Sixteen: Of Nightmares and Misery_**

_Remus was standing in Emma's bedroom, gazing down at the casket that the 16 year old's corpse had been placed in when she suddenly opened her eyes and sat up.  
"Emma?" he choked out, his eyes filling with tears.  
The brown-haired man stumbled backwards in shock as the young girl stared straight at him, her face contorting in an ugly snarl as her eyes bored into his own.  
Remus gasped in horror upon seeing her eyes.  
Those beautiful emerald irises that he had cherished so much were gone now, replaced with empty, bottomless orbs of glowing red._

_Emma stood gracefully and took a step toward him.  
"You killed me." she accused, her voice harsh and grating.  
Remus stumbled backwards.  
"No, I didn't!" he pleaded frantically._

_Emma just shook her head, smiling sadly at him, her eyes suddenly back to their original emerald color.  
"Yes, Remus, you did," she whispered miserably, her voice now returned to normal.  
"You may not have done the actual poisoning, Remus, but you didn't stop me from being poisoned either!  
You and Jacob imprinted on me, you were supposed to protect me and you failed!"  
A single tear trickled down her cheek.  
"You failed to protect me, Remus, and that makes you just as guilty of my death as Bellatrix."_

_Emma disappeared and Remus shot upright in his bed, panting harshly as he gasped for breath, trying desperately to calm his racing heart and quell the fear and panic threatening to completely consume him.  
"It's okay, Remus, it was just a dream," he told himself.  
"Emma doesn't blame you for her death...even if it is technically your fault!" the last part being muttered under his breath._

_When he had regained control of himself, Remus climbed out of bed and left the room, moving silently through the hallway until he reached Emma's bedroom.  
Lighting two candles that were mounted on the wall on either side of the door, he walked over to the bier where Emma lay motionless, as she had for the past three months, slumbering peacefully in Death's comforting embrace, never to wake again._

_Remus broke down in fresh sobs as __he gazed down at the lifeless body of his submissive mate, gently lifting her cold hand to his lips and kissing the limp, unresponsive fingers._  
_"Emma..." he sobbed brokenly as he lovingly caressed her cheek, the icy chill seeping into his own skin._  
_Heartbroken tears of grief and misery streamed in rivulets down his face before splashing onto Emma's porcelain cheeks as the 35-year-old shifter lifted her limp form into his arms and walked over to a blue chintz sofa where he sat down, the 16-year-old's body clutched tightly to his chest as he wept bitterly.  
__Emma was gone._

_ Remus laid his cheek down on Emma's chest, right above the place where her heart was located.  
__There was no heartbeat.  
__Not even the tiniest hint of life remained in her body.  
__None ever would again._


End file.
